$20K in fines levied for illegal storage, burning of waste oil

SARNIA, ONT-Marcotte Disposal and Patrick Ronald Cooper recently pleaded guilty to two counts of non-compliance with Ontario's Environment Protection Act and were fined a total of $20,000, plus 25% victim fine surcharges. Marcotte Disposal, which is registered with the Ministry of Environment (MOE) as a generator of waste oil, and Cooper, who is sole proprietor of Coop's Automotive, both rent buildings in an industrial plaza in Sarnia. MOE inspections in November 2002 found that between November 1, 2001 and November 12, 2002, the two parties burned waste oil in waste-derived fuel (WDF) heaters in their rented buildings without MOE approval (a violation of Section 9(7) under the Act). Marcotte Disposal was also found to have stored waste oil at its rented premises between May 28, 2001 and January 8, 2003 without having met the MOE's reporting requirements for registered generators of waste oil (in violation of Regulation 347, Section 18(10), under the Act). Cooper was fined $5,000 for the single breach he committed, while Marcotte Disposal was fined $7,500 for each of its two breaches, for a total of $15,000.